Mick's GeekBlog

Another political rant

Posted by Mick on March 23, 2010 – 6:58 pm

I really didn’t want to do another political blog… ever. But anyone who knows me well, and most people who know me a little, is aware that sometimes I have difficulty keeping my mouth shut. This is one of those times.

If you disagree with the new Health Care bill, or I guess by now we should say law, I get it. I really get it. Personally, I was hesitant to endorse it myself (for reasons I may or may not discuss later).

I fully and completely support your right to disagree and to loudly and proudly proclaim your disagreement to the world.

That being said, I’m so sick and tired of the name calling. Socialist. Communist. Anti-Christ. Nazi.

Yes, Nazi. I saw a post today from someone I actually like who claims the Democratic Party should be renamed the National Socialist Party.

Somehow, we have reached a level of national discourse where wanting to provide health care to the poor and under-insured is equated with fascism and genocide. Hyperbole, thy name is American.

Now I’m not one to join in on name calling, but I would like to point out one or two little nit-picky points regarding the National Socialist party. Feel free to correct my facts, as I’m talking off the top of my head here and might just make a mistake. If this was a scholarly paper, I’d spend some more time on research. This is a blog, written by an inherently lazy man.

The National Socialists were highly critical of the then current power base in Germany. They were decidedly anti-Marxist. They blamed many of their socioeconomic problems on people of a minority racial heritage. When they were in power, they systematically stripped the people of their rights, rights to things like freedom from torture, freedom from illegal search and seizure, freedom of privacy, and freedom of movement.

Does anyone see any similarities here to one of the two leading political parties in the USA? Please do not put words in my mouth, I’m not saying the Republican Party leadership are fascists. I’m just saying some people should be a bit more careful when they engage in slander. Don’t call me a Nazi when your own guys are goose-stepping down the mall.

When my democratically elected officials introduce a bill into Congress that gets passed by, once again, democratically elected officials and signed into law by a democratically elected President, that’s called democracy. Just because not everyone agrees with it doesn’t make it Communism, or Socialism, or National Socialism.

The far right in the United States of 2010 is reminding me very much of the Southern Democrats in the 1900’s, fighting civil rights every step of the way. We’ve reached a time when almost everyone in our country can look back and say that the way our country treated African-Americans for years was wrong. Just plain wrong. Slavery, segregated schools, segregated restaurants, segregated buses, segregated drinking fountains, etc. It was wrong and we should all be ashamed. And yet… we still deny spousal benefits to homosexuals because they are sinners? We still deny health care to people who can’t afford it?

By the way, the sinner argument would carry more weight if the Republican leadership wasn’t constantly embroiled in sex scandals. I’ve read the Bible more than once, I think it has more to say about adultry than it does homosexuality. And anyway, haven’t many of those sex scandals been… gasp… ho-mo-sek-shu-el sex scandals?

SIDE NOTE: The National Socialist Party of Germany was very anti-homosexual. Just saying.

Universal Health Care might just be a little bit socialist. It’s also a little bit Christian. It’s also a little bit basic human decency. Are you seriously going to make the argument that it’s ok to let someone go without health care because they are poor, or unemployed? Or maybe what you’re saying is that if you’re poor, God’s punishing you for being a sinner.

Mark my words, 50 years from now, the people of this country will look back and be shocked and saddened that for a time we actually argued over whether it was right to give health care to everyone. The people of this country will look back and be shocked and saddened that we denied spousal benefits to homosexuals.

Today, I was embarrassed by my fellow Americans and their response to the passing of this law. Again, I don’t begrudge you your right to disagree, but the message you sent the rest of the world is one that frankly makes me ashamed. There was an election, the right lost it. There was a debate on health care. The right lost it. There was a vote on healh care. The right lost it. That’s how democracy works. You had two choices in your response. The mature thing would have been to man up and do what you can to make it work. The little bitch reaction is to start name calling.

In closing, I offer one final observation. During the George Bush years, we were told that disagreeing with the President and the policies of the Administration was un-patriotic, and if you disgreed you should get out of the country. Now, we see those same people calling the President a Communist, a Nazi, and the Anti-Christ. How come it’s only “Love it, or Leave it” when it’s your guy in power?

I’m thankful that I still live in a country where it’s still legal to loudly and proudly proclaim your dis-satisfaction with the government. I’m relatively sure that if Dick Cheney had had his way, that right would be long gone by now.

Mick, I never knew you were a poet. As good as Krugman — better, in fact, than the Krugman editorial yesterday (and I adore Krugman). I’m blasting this post everywhere. And I’m proud to know you. You speak truth with passion.